Length: First version should be at least 6 pages; revisions should be about 8 pages. Use Times New Roman 12 point, double-spaced.
Due Dates
First Version: Due before session 4 (Word doc or PDF) and email to peer review group. For the instructor only, include a cover letter describing the strong points and areas for improvement in the essay. Word is highly preferred for commenting.
Version #1 Workshop: Session 5 (Due: Reviews—see Essay 1 Version 1 Peer Review Letters).
Revision: Due before session 12 (with new cover letter describing revision changes). Bold significant changes in revision. Essays and cover letters should be in separate files. Email to peer review group.
Revision Workshop: Session 12; (Due: Reviews—see Essay 1 Version 2 Peer Review Letters).
ASSIGNMENT: The starting point of this essay is the contemplation of a treasured object(s) in your life. That object might be a photo, tattoo, piece of jewelry, trophy, item of clothing or technology, or artwork. Describe the object so that readers can imagine it clearly and reflect on how you acquired or made it and why you treasure it.
Reflecting on the meaning(s) of that object may take you narratively in a range of different directions. As a writer, you have several options in how to develop this piece. Although the “I” will be present in your piece, the essay does not necessarily have to center on you as a subject. As a writer, you might begin with the object as an entry point to reflect on the lives of the person(s) who gave it to you. Alternately, you might develop your narrative about the prized object into a reflection on your own identity: your personality traits, culture, religion, values, talents, goals, and struggles. Another direction might be to reflect on your experience within a group (e.g., sports team) symbolized by the object. An aim of this essay is to provide you with experience—or more experience—in moving inductively from a small piece of evidence to a wider narrative. An inductive approach is often a useful strategy in enabling the writer to express what is unique about their experience or perspective on the world.
In this assignment, you have the freedom to craft a purely narrative piece or a hybrid essay that combines your lived experience with that of others or with outside research.
Be vivid and descriptive in your prose; use the tools of fiction—character, setting, and dialogue. Imagine your audience(s) so that you can shape your narrative to convey clearly a perspective or central idea.
For the revision, you should use at least one outside source, preferably as an epigraph quotation under your title. We also will review epigraph usage in class. You should also use outside sources within the essay if you make a claim that requires knowledge outside your own experience (e.g., “My county was the poorest in the state”). In addition, you can use outside sources as “deep background” that adds to your knowledge but does not appear explicitly in the essay.
